Valve construction



Nov. 7, 1933 s. M. MARTIN 1,933,364

VALVE CONSTRUCT I ON Filed Oct. 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 I fi 50 432 3 1T amvemtoz Nov. 7, 1933. s. M. MARTIN VALVE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 2, 1928 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 7, 1933 VALVE CONSTRUCTION Stephen M. Martin, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to

York, N. Y.

Julius F. Holmes, New

Application October 2, 1928. Serial No. 309,878

1 Claim.

This invention relates to valve Constructions adapted for use in refrigerating systems and more particularly to mechanical systems which employ power-driven pumps or compressors for effecting the circulation of the refrigerant.

The invention has for its object an improved construction and arrangement of parts in a system of the character specified, which is efficient, economical and readily manufactured.

More specifically an object of the invention is to provide an improved connecting means for the circulation connections whereby a relatively small pump or compressor may be employed'even when the service demands on the compressor are intermittent in character.

A further object is to provide an improved device for effecting desired pipe connections which is adapted to control the pressure and'flow of the refrigerant by means of a valve and also the withdrawal and admittance of the same from the system.

Other objects of the invention will in partbe obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter-set forth 'and'the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claim.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

N which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing a mechanical refrigerating system illustrating 'a manner of use of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the pump of the system in Fig. 1 provided with means for making pipe connections in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the pipeconnecting means shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5, 6, and '7 are explanatory diagrams showing various positions of valve parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of the connecting means; and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the same.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, l0 denotes a refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber 11, wherein is disposed a cooling unit or evaporator 12, which is connected in a mechanical refrigerating system for the circulation of refrigerant therethrough.

The system here shown is provided with a horizontal circulating unit having a compressor or pump 13 disposed in any convenient location relative to the refrigerator 10, the location shown being below the refrigerator, in a space under the floor a on which the refrigerator stands. It will be understood that this location of the compressor is by no means essential in the practice of the present invention, but is shown merely as illustrative of a specific use of the pipe connections herein provided; The compressor 13 which is of the .power'driven variety, is provided with an extension 14 of its casing in which an electric motor 15 (see Fig. 2) is disposed and coupled for the driving of its pump proper, which is disposed withinthe compressor housing. V

The evaporator 12, shown in the drawings, has a return connection 16 leading to the inlet passage 1? of the compressor'while a supply connection 18 leads to the evaporator from the condenser 19, that is on the same level with the motor-pump unit, and with which'the condenser is directly connected so as to receive refrigerant by means of a siphon connection 20 that leads from an outlet passage 21 (see Fig. 2) of the compressor.

In order to provide circulatingconnections in the refrigerating system in accordance with the present invention a connecting device 22 is inserted in thesiphon connection at any convenient point, for'example, in theoutlet passage 21' of the'compressor. p

The preferred form of the device is shown in Fig. 3, where the device has a passage 23 opening into a cylindrical chamber 24 from which a second horizontal passage 25 leads to an outlet orifice 26, the orifice being for convenience disposed transversely to the passage 25. Both the inlet passage and the outlet passage preferably terminate in screw-threaded nipples as shown respectively at 23 and 26' so that standard pipe connections may be conveniently attached.

In the chamber 24 is disposed an axially reciprocating checkvalve 27, which is shown'as gravity seated,'although a spring-seated check valve may be employed with equal advantage. In order that the check valve may be inspected inserted or removed, the chamber 24, preferably has a removable cap closure 28.

That portion of the passage; through the device, here denoted 25, is, controlled by a valve member 30 in the form of a rotatable cylinder disposed I with another passage in the device, namely, a v

passage shown at 33 in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 which extends across the device transversely to the passage 25 (i. e. perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 3). The valve is thus a three-way valve, .in which the passage 33 terminates in a threaded nipple 33, by which the latter is adapted to serve as means for the admission and withdrawal of refrigerant from the system.

The valve member 30 may be packed in any convenient manner, for example, by means of the stuffing gland shownat 35 through which extends a stem 36, the upper end of which is shaped at 37 to receive a wrench or other manipulating tool. The casing of the device 22 preferably extends upwardly about the stem 36, the extension being preferably interiorly screwthreaded, so as to provide notonly a securing means for the packing gland but also to form a support for a removable cap closure 38 which is preferably employed to protect the stem against unwarranted manipulation. The device 22 is also shown as having the communicating passages 23 and 25 equipped with suitable safety valves or vents 40 and 41.

In operation, the connecting device 22 is adapted to serve not only as a convenient means to which pipe couplings and unions may be attached in making the supply and return connections between the evaporator and the motorpump unit, but when its valve member 30 is turned so as to be open to the atmosphere, then it also serves to break the siphon column and operates as a convenient means through which refrigerant may be admitted or withdrawn from the system, so that through this connection the system may be initially charged and recharged or the refrigerant withdrawn when it is desired to do so. 7

When it is desired to charge the system, the

valve '31 is turned to the position shown in Fig.

5 and a filling funnel connected to the nipple 33', fluid is then poured into the same which runs down through the outlet 21, the air or gas which is displaced from the compressor casing bubbling up therethrough. Where the connecting device includes a check-valve as shown at 27, this checkvalve requires first to be opened which isreadily accomplished by removing the cap 28. The head of liquid in the filling funnel will also operate to cause a portion of the refrigerant to flow through the nipple 26 to the condenser 19. When the desired amount of refrigerant has been admitted to the system, the valve 30 is closed. When the system is closed and the pump started, air is at first circulated, but the compressor soon becomes primed and operates to pump in a normal manner.

When it is desired to withdraw refrigerant from the system, the pump is stopped when there is a relatively great differential of pressure between the high and low side, consequently when the valve member 30 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 5, the pressure in the pipe 18 will cause a discharge of refrigerant from the condenser through the nipple 33. When it is desired to recharge, the pressure differential produced by the pump is preferably allowed to decrease as far as practical and the valve 30 turned to open position when a desired amount of refrigerant may be supplied to the system substantially in the manner employed for originally charging the same.

The check valve in the device is adapted to maintain a pressure differential at the point of insertion in the system against a relative great head, should the pump stop for a period, which it frequently does in the service required of a mechanical refrigerating system functioning in domestic refrigeration. By maintaining this pressure differential, the work required of the pump in starting is materially reduced, and a motor of relatively small horsepower may in consequence be employed, even where the pump pumpsagainst a relatively great head of pressure due to a distant location of the pump from the refrigerator; for example, as shown in Fig. 1, where the pump is located in a room below the room containing the refrigerator.

While the connecting device of the present invention in its preferred form includes a check valve, it is by no means essential to the construction of the connecting device, and in the simpler modified form shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the check valve is dispensed with; so also are the safety' valves.

As shown in Fig. 8, the device comprises a casing 42 having a passage 43 terminating in a nipple 43, the passage 43 communicating with a horizontal passage 45 that terminates in a nipple -46. Controlling the passage 45 is a rotatable valve member 50, similar in construction to the valve member30 having three-way passages of the same character as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 and adapted to control a transverse passage terminating in a nipple 53 through which a refrigerant may be admitted or withdrawn. The valve member 50 has a stem 56 adapted to receive a tool at its upper end 57 for manipulating the same, the valve in this form being also preferably protected against unwarranted manipulation by means of the cap closure 58.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and-not-in a limiting sense. a

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A valve device adapted for use in the horizontal connection between compressors and condensers in refrigerating systems comprising a casing having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough and a communicating transverse passage, each of said passages terminating in a screw-threaded nipple adapted to be readily attached to and detached from position in said horizontal pipe connections, said longitudinal passage being intercepted by two cylindrical chambers in one of which is a check valve adapted to check the flow of fluid through said passage in one direction, a removable cap closing said chamber, a rotatable three-way valve in the other chamber adapted in one position to pro- 

